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Gems from #NAPO2013 Conference
Just reviewing my notes from the National Association of Professional Organizers conference (#NAPO2013), which happened in New Orleans last week. I’m doing the suggested half-day (ok, maybe an hour) review of my notes and setting of goals based on my time there, and some things are too good not to share.
You probably saw the few videos that I and my colleagues made sharing our AHA moments. You can catch up on them over at http://www.youtube.com/user/DarlaDeMorrow. I was also just tickled pink to get to meet my idol, Julie Morgenstern, who wrote one of the most solid organizing books, Organizing from the Inside Out:The Foolproof System For Organizing Your Home, Your Office and Your Life
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I finally got to meet my idol at NAPO2013, Julie Morgenstern!
I have several organizing goodies that I’ll be giving away on future posts, so stay tuned, and have your friends subscribe to my posts so they can get in on the goods.
I also learned that those pictures you take of yourself while looking in the mirror are called a “selfie.”
Here are my favorite one-liner lessons from conference:
- Multi-tasking is a myth; there is only rapidly shifting attention. The science shows this to be true!
- “Don’t believe everything you think.”
- When purging, ask yourself, “Does this just seem important because I’m looking at it right now?”
- An email inbox is NOT a to-do list, but even super smart people have to learn this.
- Procrastination does not equal lazy. It usually means that energy levels (best times of day) are not well matched to tasks selected.
- Motivation can be improved by seeing positive results. You don’t have to change everything, you just have to change enough of the pieces to get you over the Magic Threshold (similar to the tipping point).
- Professional Organizers aren’t therapists…except when we’re the only ones in the room, and then we are!
- If you never fail, it doesn’t mean you are awesome; it means you are never pushing yourself.
- You can have a great batting average, but staying in the Little Leagues forever isn’t the goal.
- If you’re having trouble getting started, the first step is too big. Break it down.
- The traditional challenge of paper clutter has morphed into mobile clutter>>cloud clutter>>digital clutter!
- Strive for paperLESS, not paperFREE!
- Just scanning isn’t enough. You still need to maintain and “straighten” your digital files every few months.
- Staple removers are essential equipment in the new world of scanning.
- Willpower= the ability to do what matters MOST to YOU, even when challenges present themselves.
- Willpower is a SURVIVAL instinct, but is not always well adapted to our modern world.
- Frame and practice your willpower workout in this way:
1. Identify big goal/vision (I want…)
2. Choose commitment (I will…)
3. Notice what gets in the way (I won’t…)
4 Pay attention, flex your willpower, repeat.
- Willpower is contagious! Who knew?? Your friends and family can really make you fat. Wow!
- Distress tolerance, despite being unAmerican, is something that can help us be more successful. We need to accept inner discomfort when seeking change. Avoiding discomfort does not move us forward.
- Mindfulness (thinking about thinking and accepting discomfort that comes with change) can reduce cravings and discomfort, allowing us to move to new habits and systems.
- Willpower is driven by physiology (cortisol, brain anatomy, hormones, etc.), but not by genetics. We can train our brain for more willpower! Praise God!
- The amygdala, an ancient part of our brain, often does our subconscious thinking, despite our evolved state. We can affect other people’s amygdala reactions by improving our non-verbal communication, and allowing them to feel discomfort but not distress. Reframing to the positive end-goal helps greatly.
- Accountability in an organizing relationship is to the client’s self, not to me.
- “Stuckness” responds well to having more responsibility, not less. But the responsibility has to be from the party who wants the change, not from outside.
- “Why shoot for the keyhole, when the doorway is wide open?”
- The Productivity Chain can help identify what part of our systems and habits are causing overwhelm and under-performance.
- Brand EVERYTHING you do. You never know what will go viral.
- Live with transparency. It’s just too easy to dig up dirt.
- Learn to write. Even Peter Shankman, one of today’s top ADHD globe trotters, has no tolerance for twitter style writing, do U? Good communication skills still make a great first impression, even in 140 characters or less.
Now, you can feel like you were there, too, but without the spicy food and Hurricane hangover! I’d love to hear if you have questions about the conference.
Shredding Events Near Philadelphia- April, May, June 2013
- Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos
Looking for a shredding event near you? Bring your paperwork to shred to one of the events listed here in April, May or June 2013 and beyond. We attempt to ensure this information is updated and correct, but you really should verify dates, locations, fees, accepted materials and other pertinent details with the event hosts before heading to any shredding event. Many of these events are free, but many are not. Please check each venue.
Did we miss one that should be on the list? Please add it by leaving a comment below. Thanks!
http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx at the following:
| First Friday of Every MonthBailiwick Office Park252 West Swamp Road (Rt 313 & Rt 611 Bypass) Doylestown, PA 18901TIME: 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Second Tuesday of Every MonthUpper Moreland Township Library117 Park Avenue (off Rt 611 in the Police Dept parking lot) Willow Grove, PA 19090TIME: 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM |
| Third Thursday of Every MonthShady Brook Farm931 Stony Hill RoadYardley, PA 19067TIME: 12:00 Noon – 1:00 PM |
For our friends in SJ: www.docuvaultdv.com Every Wednesday – from 8:00am to 10:00am anyone is invited to bring paper to be shred to our location in West Deptford, NJ. For a flat rate of $40 per bin, we bring a 64-gallon bin out to your car and you can fill it with as much paper as will fit in it. They can hold around 5 or 6 copy-paper sized boxes of paper. Staples and paper clips are okay to leave in, only binder clips must be removed prior to shredding.1240 Forest Parkway, Suite 100, West Deptford, NJ 08066, 856-853-5160 Ext 322 office, 856-853-5164 fax
(format)
- Link:
- Host:
- Date
- Time
- Phone number, if available
- Location:
- Special info:
Host: Township of Gloucester
Date: Saturday, April 6, 2013
Time: 9:00am to 12:00pm
http://wigginsshredding.com/residential/tear-fests.php
Host: West Chester Wiggins Auto Tags
Date: Friday, April 12, 2013
Time: 3-5:30
The Delaware County Enviro Fair 2013
Host: www.EarthCareCouncil.org
Saturday, April 13, 2013
9:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Penn Wood High School,
100 Green Avenue, Lansdowne, PA
Shred up to 3 boxes for free. Also, electronics recycling drop off for computers and other household electronics.
https://www.pennlibertybank.com/UserFiles/File/2013Shred_Event_flyer.pdf
Host: Penn Liberty Bank
Date: Saturday, April 13, 2013
Time: 9am to 1pm Rain or Shine
Phone #:610-535-4800
Location: 472 Norristown Rd., Blue Bell
ProShred Security
Host: Friends of the Easttown Library
Date: Saturday, April 20, 2013
TIme:9 AM- Noon
Location: Easttown Library, 720 First Ave Berwyn PA 19312
Special Info: ProShred of Malvern will bring its mobile shredding truck to Easttown Library. The cost to shred documents is $10 per standard storage box or per two grocery bags.
For information, call ProShred at (484) 323-2100 or visit proshred.com
No early dropoffs will be accepted.
For information, call the library at (610) 644-0138. www.easttownlibrary.org
ProShred Security
Host:Amity Township Crime Watch
Date:Saturday, April 20, 2013
Time: 9AM – Noon
Location:Redners Market, Rte 422 and Rte 662Douglassville PA, 19518
Special Info: *****Donations Welcome*************
Host: Borough of Glassboro
Date:Saturday, April 20, 2013
Time: 9:00am to 12:00pm
Host: Township of East Greenwich
Date: Saturday, April 20, 2013
Time: 9:00am to 12:00pm
E-Cycle Anything with a Plug:
Host: Whole Foods Market Wynnewood
Date: Thursday, April 25, 2013
Time: 1-6 pm
Contact: 610-896-8134 and Ruth.Harp@WholeFoods.com
Note: Whole Foods Market Jenkintown, Plymouth Meeting, and both Philadelphia stores are also having e-cycling events on Thursday April 25; see stores for times.
Host: UPS Store, Wayne
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2013
Phone #: 610-535-4820
Location: 303 W LANCASTER AVE WAYNE, PA 19087
Contact: (610) 975-0860, store1152@theupsstore.com
The first 25 pounds of shredding per customer are FREE, and every additional pound is just $0.35. Secure shredding services will be provided by Iron Mountain. All materials will be thoroughly shredded, and you will receive documentation certifying that your materials have been securely destroyed.
ProShred Security
Host:Building a Better Boyertown
Date:Saturday, April 27, 2013
Time:10 AM- Noon
Location:Boyertown Community Park, South Madison Street Boyertown PA 19512
https://www.pennlibertybank.com/UserFiles/File/2013Shred_Event_flyer.pdf
Host: Penn Liberty Bank
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2013
Time: 9am to 1pm Rain or Shine
Phone #: 610-535-4820
Location: 199 Lancaster Ave. Malvern,PA
Host: Rep. Joe Hackett
Brookhaven office (Borough Building, 2 Cambridge Rd.) on
Date: Saturday, May 4
Time: 9am – noon
Phone: 610-461-5543.
The event is free, but limited to four boxes per individual, residential material only. Business material will not be accepted.
https://www.pennlibertybank.com/UserFiles/File/2013Shred_Event_flyer.pdf
Host: Penn Liberty Bank
Date: Saturday, May 4, 2013
Time: 9am to 1pm Rain or Shine
Phone #:610-535-4880
Location: 543 N. Lewis Rd, Limerick
http://wigginsshredding.com/residential/tear-fests.php
Host: West Chester Wiggins Auto Tags
Date: Friday, May 10, 2013
Time: 3:00pm to 5:30pm
NBC Paper Shredding Event
at the Navy Yard (4747 South Broad Street, Philadelphia)
May 18th from 9am-12 pm
(No link available yet. Please confirm this with a web search before heading out.)
 
West Chester Shredding and recycling Event
May 18
9a-1p
electronics also accepted, open to borough residents and businesses
http://www.west-chester.com/pdfs/Shred-Day-2013.pdf
 
Radnor Township building, Saturday, May 18. We are joining forces with Prudential, Fox & Roach to shred papers in the building parking lot from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Go to this site for more details: http://www.radnor.com/egov/apps/events/calendar.egov?path=03&search_timeframe=180&yr=2013&mo=5&dy=12&id=30228&search_timeframe=180&yr=2013&mo=5&dy=12
 
http://wigginsshredding.com/residential/tear-fests.php
Host: West Chester Wiggins Auto Tags
Date: Saturday, June 1, 2013
Time: 10 am- noon
http://wigginsshredding.com/residential/tear-fests.php
Host: West Chester Wiggins Auto Tags
Date: Friday June 14, 2013
Time: 3-5:30
https://www.pennlibertybank.com/UserFiles/File/2013Shred_Event_flyer.pdf
Host: Penn Liberty Bank
Date: Saturday, June 8, 2013,
Time: 9am to 1pm
Phone #:610-535-4830
Location: 210 Font Rd., Chester Springs
https://www.pennlibertybank.com/UserFiles/File/2013Shred_Event_flyer.pdf
Host: Penn Liberty Bank
Date:Saturday, June 15, 2013
Time: 9am to 1pm
Phone #: 610-535-4890
Location: 1 W. Lancaster Ave Paoli, PA
Gloucester County Shred Event – Every year DocuVault partners up with Gloucester County and holds a county-wide shred event – it is usually around Father’s Day in July
http://wigginsshredding.com/residential/tear-fests.php
Host: West Chester Wiggins Auto Tags
Date: Saturday, June 29, 2013
Time: 10am to noon
http://wigginsshredding.com/residential/tear-fests.php
Host: West Chester Wiggins Auto Tags
Date: Friday, July 12, 2013
Time: 3-5:30
https://www.pennlibertybank.com/UserFiles/File/2013Shred_Event_flyer.pdf
Host: Penn Liberty Bank
Date: Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013,
Time: 9am to 1pm Rain or Shine
Phone #: 610-535-4850
Location: East Goshen, 1301 Paoli Pike
Host: Borough of Haddonfield –
Date: Saturday, October 5 2013
Time: 9:00am to 12:00pm
https://www.pennlibertybank.com/UserFiles/File/2013Shred_Event_flyer.pdf
Host: Penn Liberty Bank
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2013
TIme: 9am to 1pm Rain or Shine
Phone: 610-535-4860
Location: 2724 Ridge Pike, Trooper
How to Get a Job
Is one of your New Years resolutions to get a better job, or any job at all?
This story is about Mandy, and she’s agreed to let me share her story. A while back, Mandy contacted me, asking for help organizing her thoughts. Not her stuff, her email, her finances, or her papers, even though we do all of that at HeartWork Organizing.
She was jobless at the time, but had a good education and professional experience in a well-paying industry. Even with her background, she had not worked in two years, and she felt defeated.
OK, stop right there. She has no job, no money, and she reaches out to a professional organizer? Is this what you would do?
Organize the Job Search
But Mandy knew that if she could tame her stuff and get her thoughts in order, if she could develop a daily routine and accountability to someone else, then she could move forward. In fact, the first thing that she did was agree to a payment and appointment schedule, and commit to sending me daily email updates on her progress with her homework. The first bit of homework she accomplished was to buy and start using a daily planner. She hadn’t had this much structure in quite a while.
We worked together to evaluate here current job goal to find employment overseas, and she decided that it wasn’t realistic, even though she speaks French. What she really wanted to do was stay in her field but make a big change, and work in a certain specialty of her field for which she had no real qualifications.
Don’t “Network”, Interview!
One of the most important- and effective- things she did is to conduct informational interviews. She researched companies she wanted to know more about and people she wanted to meet within those companies. She invited those people to have lunch or coffee with her, and she asked them, “How did you get to be so successful at what you do, and how can I do the same thing?”
Mandy sought out temporary jobs to improve her cash flow, which was good, because she was picking up more lunch tabs and she was meeting with more and more influential people, conducting more of these informational interviews.
Keep Learning
In fact, she got so good at calling people she didn’t know and asking for advice, that she made the audacious call to a conference organizer to sponsor her to go to professional conferences so that she could meet even more successful people.
And here’s where it gets interesting…
Start Writing
I gave her an assignment to write a 500 word article on the first conference that she attended so that she could stay focused and get the most out of the conference. She posted the article to her LinkedIn profile, one thing led to another, and she received offers from journals in her industry who wanted her to write regular articles for their publication.
Her visibility improved on the Internet. She always had interesting conversation material because she was meeting with influential people in the region (no longer just in her field), and her confidence improved.
Put Yourself Out There
She went on an interview. She created a professional online profile on www.About.me, a free site. She went on another interview. She continued to write articles for the publications in her field. She started to have requests to connect on social media from people like university professors in her field who now regarded her as an expert in the field where she was not yet employed full time!
Get Help
Throughout the months, Mandy continued to pick up supports like a job search group, a negotiating coach, even a professional photographer to help with her online profile, additional advice from her family, and all of her new networking contacts. She landed a couple of very attractive temp jobs, which gave her some wiggle room on her cash flow. Even without a new job, she began to exude that confidence that people have when they are busy, useful, and working on some exciting project. Her exciting project was, that’s right, her job hunt.
Get Hired
I’m leaving out a lot of interesting facts about Mandy’s job search, but the bottom line is that she started her new position last month, for a very well paying job in her chosen specialty. There are a lot of people who are proud of Mandy right now, but none more than herself.
It’s still the new year. It’s America Saves Week. And it’s the month to show the most important person in your life (you!) some love. Take a cue from Mandy, and focus in on the next right thing to change your life this year. You have my best wishes, and my help if you need it.
Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos
Seven Email Organizing Must Do’s
Got email? Got email overload? Got any idea how to manage it? Stop beating your head against the same brick wall every year. Here are 7 things that will help.
1. Know how to manage your spam filters. There are a lot of different types of email out there, so giving you instructions here on setting up spam filters isn’t feasible. But rest assured that your specific email service does have spam filters. In fact, you may have several spam options. My host/email provider has one. I have another one on my computer. I subscribed to and pay for an outside service as well, called Postini. If you are getting an insane amount of offers to refinance your home, buy meds, and help a friend escape from a foreign country, then start by researching your email’s spam options. I honestly remove hundreds of emails each day before they even get to my inbox. Not sure how to set up your spam filters? Check your provider’s FAQs or Google something like “How to set up spam filters on comcast email”.
2. Unsubscribe. You may have heard that you don’t want to unsubscribe because that causes more spam. That’s only the case for true spam, you know, the ones from the Phillipines and Africa and so on. You can probably tell the “true spam” from legitimate retailers and service providers. If you truly aren’t interested in hearing from Home Depot, Victoria’s Secret, and Land’s End every single week, then unsubscribe. By law, they must process your request You know where they are, anyway, right? Hint: it ends with a dot-com. You can unsubscribe a little each day, or you can do it twice a year, after you’ve decided whether their content is valuable or not.
3. Folders. If there are folks you can’t totally unhook or unsubscribe from, but you honestly never have time to read their stuff, then set up a filter to send their info directly into a folder. Almost every email service out there now allows you to create folders. Ideally, you’ll set up a rule that will say something like, “Whenever a message comes from (this guy), then send it directly to my (sales and deals) folder.” I put almost all of my association newsletters into a folder like this, so I’m not tempted to read them during high-productivity hours.
4. Be ready. One of the worst things that ever happened to us was the introduction of the smartphone. Now we feel like we can just clear out a few emails while waiting in line or (God forbid) at a stoplight. Don’t do it. Unless you are ready to act on those emails, all you are doing is creating a backlog. Wait until you are wherever you need to be, like at your desk, to check, act on, delete, and file away those emails. Not only will you be more productive, you’ll be more present wherever you are, like in the lane next to me on Rte 30.
5. Backup, Backup, Backup. This can be a toughie for non-techies, but the good news is that it is getting easier. If you feel overwhelmed by email, you probably keep more email than you really want to, and that’s probably because you think there is something important in there that you should be keeping. If that’s true, then you should be backing them up. If you download your emails to your computer, then you need a backup solution, and maybe two, because your computer will die someday. If you aren’t sure if your emails get downloaded or if they just stay up on your provider’s servers, call your provider and ask. If you run or manage a business, I highly recommend both an online backup and an on-site physical backup. Find out what I recommend for both types of computer backup solutions (and get a free offer) here.
6. Don’t print email. Some folks are still printing off a bunch of emails every day so they can take them into the other room and read them. Not only is it bad for the trees, but it’s bad for your time management. Exercise your decision muscle and force yourself to read emails rather than printing them out. If you have trouble reading on your computer monitor, get some help to change the font, get a bigger monitor, change the brightness, or make other changes so it is easier for you to read the pixels rather than creating piles.
7. Batch and archive. If you already do the first six things above, congratulations. But you still have 46,000 emails in your inbox? That might just drive you crazy. If you dream of a fresh start, then make a clean break. But don’t fret about having to delete your archive. Just batch them up and park them somewhere other than your inbox. Create a folder. Maybe label the old batch “Before 2013-destroy in 2015,” and start again. Your inbox will only be cleared out for a minute, but it will feel so good, and you’ll still have the old stuff if you truly need it.
photo credit: 123RF.com
What other strategies do you use to manage your email overload?
New Year = New Data Backup Resolutions
Just call me the “reluctant geek”. In the last week of 2012, it happened again; part of my digital life broke down. I’m sure this has never, ever happened to you. Fortunately, there’s a happy ending, and there’s even a present in it for you! Keep reading to claim your gift, just in time to keep your get organized for the New Year resolution!
This summer, after six weeks of being told that my computer wasn’t crashing daily (it was), we finally fixed the problem. Fortunately, both of my data backups were in place, so no data was harmed in the telling of this story.
Why do I have two data backup solutions?
Because things fail. Recently, my Seagate backup drive failed. I have no complaints, since this backup drive lasted about seven years and outlasted three computers. My data was restored multiple times off this drive. The Seagate tech team has been awesome, and software updates were always free. It reliably backed up data every single day for seven years without me having to do much. It was tired. After a long and useful life, it gave out. With no hesitation, I plunked down $150 on a new Seagate 3TB automated drive that will probably outlast my current PC.
I also have Carbonite, a cloud storage solution, meaning that my data lives on a secure server over at Carbonite. (Don’t get me started here on what the free “cloud” solutions are and aren’t!) My data isn’t running around willy-nilly for all to see. It gets automagically backed up every single day that my is PC on. It is not foolproof, so having it as my second backup solution helps me sleep better. It even saves the last 30 days of backups, if I needed an older version. If the tech gods were really angry at me and caused my computer and my Seagate to fail on the same day, I’d have an online backup. If we were to have a theft or fire, my data would still be safe.
In case you are wondering, both Seagate and Carbonite work with Macs.
Paranoid, or Organized?
You may think I’m being paranoid, but computers hold more than just documents these days. Almost all of my kids’ pictures are digital. The only place our family videos live is on my computer. It costs next to nothing to safeguard these.
Are You Backed Up?
While I have two really solid backup solutions for my computer, far too many of my friends and clients don’t even have one reliable backup solution. Some people have an external hard drive without automatic backups. If it’s not backing up automatically, it isn’t really a backup solution at all. Most people don’t even have that much.
Special Backup Offer from Carbonite for You
My friends at Carbonite have generously allowed me to offer you a bonus. For as little as $59/year (this is the plan I have used for years), you can get 2 free months of backup service. That’s 14 months for the price of 12. If you are already a Carbonite customer, you can extend your service and still take advantage of this offer. Just enter the code “APPO” on your Carbonite order when you checkout.
By the way, this is perfect for small businesses and bloggers.
You know you can always call me for questions, even if you aren’t an organizing or design client. Friends don’t let friends crash without backup. If you do take advantage of the offer, you can also enter to win a 2-pack of my favorite Password Keepers that will help keep you even more organized. Just enter below.
Even if your life is cluttered, even if your data is disorganized, take 5 minutes now to get that “fresh and organized” feeling by backing up your data with Carbonite. Enter here to let me know you value this offer so I can bring you more of the same this next year…and enter to win a 2-pack of Password Keepers.
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